Child Locks and Road Blocks
by Still Awesome2009
Summary: Summary: Patience is a virtue, and a back road, a hurricane and flood warning, and traffic jam may prove why it is so.
1. Child Locks

_Hey Peeps! Long time no see (read, whatever)! This is my first story in maybe 8-9 years. I can't really speak for if my writing has improved, but I'm feeling a lot more creative lately. Hence this little two-chapter story. I remember this year very well as a coastal child, and goodness was it terrifying, so I wanted to write something based around this major event._

 _Hope you all like this humbly, StillAwesome 3_

Summary: Patience is a virtue, and a back road, a hurricane and flood warning, and traffic jam may prove why it is so. Sam is about 14 and Dean is 18.

Call it Winchester luck or call it the Winchester curse. John was finally allowing them to have a small break after a particularly nasty poltergeist hunt in coastal North Carolina, when a fucking hurricane warning and evacuation ruined the summer fun.

"Why?" sighed Dean looking out at the downpour of torrential rains. "So many hot chicks in thong bikinis were going to be on Topsail beach."

"You can stay if you want to Dean. Just you and Fran if you want." Sam giggled

John gave both of his sons a warning look. Usually Sam was the one whining about having to leave, not Dean. "Strange? I don't remember having another baby. Why is there so much whining in my car?" the patriarch joked.

The small family was current in a traffic jam trying the find the hurricane shelter so that they could ride out Hurricane Fran.

"How destructive can it really be, dad? They have hurricanes every year, yet they are acting like Lucifer is rising and the apocalypse is on the cusp of reality." Dean huffed, "I mean serious, every single store is sold out of water, bread, and canned food."

John rolled his eyes dramatically, "Dean, we can come back to the beach after the hurricane and clean up. After all, I don't have any hunts lined up and Sammy needs to start school soon."

"It's Sam." the younger teen interjected.

"Whatever," Dean quipped as he reached into the glove box for the map and started scanned for an alternative route. They'd been stuck in this evacuation mess for hours and hadn't gotten further than a couple of miles.

"You see any viable detours Ace?" John asked hopefully.

"Yeah….mmm, there will be a left turn followed by a hard right in about a quarter mile. Looks like a country road, but at least there won't be traffic lights, so maybe it'll be quicker."

They family waited patiently and took the turn at the intersection. Conveniently there weren't any traffic guards trying to herd them down the busy boulevard. "Son, how long should we drive on this road? John asked as they passed a 25MPH sign.

"About 15 miles. The road should end by the high school they've turned into a shelter."

John readjusted himself in his seat and pushed the gas pedal down a little more. What difference would going 45 in a 25 do if no one else was around to tell the tale?

The rain beat rhythmically on the surfaces on the car, "Reminds me of rain sticks" Dean said, "Who knew the sound was actually accurate?"

Rolling his eyes Sam bantered back, "It's called a rain stick, dickweed. What else would it sound like?"

"Sorry, we can't all be pleebs, doctor kill joy." Dean quipped.

"Jerk"

"Bitc-"Dean started before frantically changing topics, "Dad, there's a bridge ahead, can we make it? It's flooding."

Slowing down the car to a coast, "Well go through slowly, so we don't flood her engines." John responded as he carefully guided the impala through the flood waters.

"The school should only be a little farther if worse comes to worst." Dean said.

They could feel the water moving the car, but John maintained control.

That was until the engine started to stall. "Dad, what do we do?" whispered Sam, he was barely audible over the sound of the rain and rushing waters.

"Its okay, Dean will maneuver the car, and I will push. If we can make it to the other side, we can park the car and leave it until after the storm. Our safety is more important.

The wind whipped around his windbreaker as he tried his best not to lose his Sox cap or get blown away on his run to the boot of the car. "Dean are you ready? Put the car in neutral, and let's push on 3."

Dean slide across the bench, shifted the stick into neutral, and climbed halfway out the door in preparation to push and stir the car across the remainder of the flooded bridge. "1…2…3"

The oldest Winchesters grunted under the strain, heaving and pushing themselves through the 5 inches of water. It took a while, but they somehow managed to get the stalled car to the right shoulder of the road after escaping the bridge. "The water is still a little high here, but it should be fine for now." John said as he and Dean looked at the engine block.

"Should we grab our bags and start walking to the shelter?" Dean asked his father.

"Yeah, let's get them out." John said before yelling through the window to Sam, "Stay inside the car for a few minutes, we're going to grab the bags. I'm going to get your raincoat for you."

John watched as Sam leaned back against his seat and began to look over his book while he waited.

What happened next was of the freak kind of accident variety.

After John and Dean leaned into the trunk and pulled out the bags, John closed the boot and leaned against the car for leverage as he hefted the bags onto his shoulders. Faster than should have been possible, the car began to roll away with the propulsion of the water as a guide.

"SAMMY! Get out of the car, now!" John yelled as the car began to flow toward the river below the bridge.

John watched frantically as Sam tried and failed to open the rear door. He watched as his son fiddled with the locks in hopes that disengagement would free him from the impala.

"Dad" Dean whispered, "The safety locks are on." It was uncharacteristically and calmly reported, but then as if snapped out of his trance like shock Dean started yelling and running to the impala. "Dad, help! The child safety locks are on."

"Sammy! Front door! Go to the front door!" John screamed over the pounding rain.

He saw Dean opening the front door and reaching for his brother as Sam lithely and quickly climbed over the seat and tried to go from the passenger side to the driver's side of the car. But Winchester luck wasn't that kind.

Dean almost had him. When the shoulder of the road suddenly fell out from beneath the car, and the car door slammed into his outstretched hand. "No, no, no, no, no…."

John saw the car suddenly tip on its passenger side, forcing the driver's side door closed and blocking the passenger's door, sealing his baby boy in the car.

Dean saw an entirely different perspective than his dad, who was jogging towards him. He saw Sammy's head and body slam violently against the right side window. He saw a dazed brother not moving quick enough to save himself. And it threw Dean into a blind panic, "Sammy, move! Open the door!" Dean cried

 _I am going to stop there, but look foward to the next update_


	2. Going Under

A/N: Thank to everyone who read my first chapter. I know it was a little rough around the edges, but I appreciate the positive feedback. Although I'm a English teacher, I feel like I lost all my creativity when writing those academic papers in Uni and Grad School. So, I'm trying to get my groove back, so to speak.

Disclaimer: I still do not own Supernatural or the characters.

* * *

Sam's POV

Sam knew he should be moving. He felt the panic rise in him even though he was too dazed and disoriented to do so. He could hear his brother's muffled shouts to move and open the door. He couldn't disappoint Dean, but the world around him just wouldn't stop moving. And he couldn't figure out why head was ringing like a bell.

"Breathe, Sam, breathe." He chanted the mantra hoping for some relief, "okay! Calm down."

It didn't help.

He could hear the water whipping around the classic car, and the thought of being trapped and dying scared him. He didn't fancy dying in Hicksville at the bottom of a river in the middle of a hurricane. Especially as the car began to fill with the dingy brownish-green water.

He started to climb across the bench, trying and failing to steady his shaking hands. Inhaling as he lifted his hand and exhaling as he touched the seat each time he quickly made it to the driver's door. He wrapped his arm around the headrest of the driver's seat and looked out the window. There was no way he was opening this door without a safe path back to land.

At least if he stayed in the Impala they would find his body. They'd have to sweep the river and search the banks for him if he got swept away in this current.

Sam scanned quickly. The best option would be to find a fallen tree. He could use that to move back to land. He couldn't see any. He couldn't think. Dean was always better under pressure than he was. He needed Dean, Sam though as he wrapped his arms around his body and searched his brain for an answer.

His phone.

"I have my phone." Sam laughed as he reached into his pocket, flipped it open and starting dialing Dean's number. The other boy picked up quickly, "Sammy!'

"Dean? What do I do? How do I get out? Do I need to call 911? Tell me, please" he cried in panic as the car shifted again, "Deanohgod!Thecarisfillingwitwater"

Over his harsh breathing he could hear Dean speaking and trying to calm him. "Listen to me Sam. Try to breathe." He followed along with Dean's instructions. "Dad says the car is probably stuck. The river isn't too deep and you haven't moved from the spot. Okay?"

"Yeah" Sam responded, "So I'm okay."

"Yes, Sammy, you will be okay, but you need to do as we say." Sam heard Dean take a breath, "Dad called 911 and they'll be here soon, but you need to roll down the window and crawl to the roof of the car. We don't want you stuck inside if the car sinks down anymore. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I'll wait. I can do it" Sam said with as much confidence as he could muster.

"Okay, I don't want you to lose the phone. So hang up and put it in your pocket. See you soon, Sammy."

"K, De-" Sam said as the call ended and he did as he was told. He held firmly to the handle and wound down the window just enough to fit through. The window frame was wet and the wind blew the raindrops violently in his direction, but Sam held firmly to the window frame and began to climb out. He could hear the Doppler effect of the fire engine's sirens in the distance and it gave him relief.

He pulled his body out and firmly planted one foot on the glass of the window. He use all the strength and adrenalin he could find to pull his body on the roof of the car. He was putting his other foot on the window when he felt the glass shatter at his feet and he lost his standing.

He gasped in surprise as his body fell into the rushing water and water flooded into his mouth and down his throat—it threaten him. He flailed and in his disorientation tried to grab for anything in reach to keep from being pulled away from the safety of the Impala, his home.

He was reaching out and grasped onto something sharp. It cut into his skin, but he didn't dare risk letting go. He used that leverage and he pulled himself up on what he discovered was the Impala's window frame. He clambered out of the water and laid himself out on the roof. His body heaving from the strain and his lungs burning from panic and lack of oxygen.

* * *

Dean's POV

After hanging up with his brother Dean turned to see his Dad do the same with the 911 operator.

"They're going to be here soon. They're dispatching from the school." The patriarch informed, "You let Sam know he's going to be rescued soon?"

"Yeah, told him to wait on top of the car since it hasn't moved from that spot. He's climbing out now." Dean said as both turned to watch Sam deftly climb out the window.

Their worry for the youngest was finally starting to ease now that they could see him and hear rescue arriving, when Sam's chin suddenly bounced off the roof and he fell back into the water. They could see his arms flailing, he was panicking. And Dean couldn't stay still. He had started to run towards the decline near the water when unknown hands grabbed him.

"Son, it's okay. We are going to get the kid out the water." Dean looked from the man's eyes and to his right. He could see the fire fighters and rescue worker moving the boat from the rig and walking towards the water.

He then looked toward the Impala and saw that miraculously his baby brother had somehow managed to pull himself from the water and was laying on the roof of the car. He could feel his legs give out in relief, "Fuck" he breathed out, "Thank god"

"Dean, son, they're getting your brother now." Dean heard his dad say next to him, "Let's get you out of the rain. They'll bring him back. Sammy's okay." He heard the sound of the boat motor start and the mosquito like sound of the boat being steered towards his brother. So, he moved as his dad and the firefighter guided him to the rescue squad car.

"They're checking your son over first and then we are going to head to the school. There are some emergency medical teams and doctors there. Unfortunately, the hospital is about an hour out and we can't be driving on these roads in this storm. They're predicting major flooding and this hurricane isn't that far off land now." The worker informed.

"Have they got Sammy back yet?" Dean asked.

The young man looked over his shoulder and saw his team helping the young man walk toward the other vehicle for a brief check. "Yep! He looks alright. He's walking. They just want to check him over quickly. Then they'll bring him here and we'll get you all on your way" he said

John nodded, satisfied with knowing Sam was fine, "Just let them know he hit his head when the car started rolling away. Make sure they check, um….."

"Adam. My name is Adam. And no need to inform, they are checking his eyes for response right now, they check more thoroughly later."

* * *

Sam's POV

Sam had never been so relieved or thankful. He keep sending up thanks to whatever omnipotent being was out their protecting him. He was currently being guided off the boat and across the small road to the back of a rescue SVU.

Once he sat down, they gave him another towel to replace the now wet towel he received on the boat. "Hi kid. I'm Aaron and this I Cala," he said motioning to a woman in her mid-twenties. "We're going to look over you, to make sure you're okay, before we head out."

Sam nodded absently, not really listening, until a sharp and intrusive light cut through his vision and started moving left and right. Sam keened and tried to move away. "Sam, you're okay. Shhh, calm down baby." The woman, Cala soothed as she wrapped her arms around Sam and moved his head toward her shoulder.

"Looks like a mild concussion." Aaron reported to Cala. Sam felt her nod and grab his hand.

"We should clean this cut, know what was in that water." She said, "They can get it stitched when we get back.

"Sam, honey, we are going to clean your hand. Do you remember cutting it?" she asked.

"Window….fell in water. Cut it on the broken window." He said in a daze as they used cotton wool and hydrogen peroxide to clean out the ragged cut along his palm.

"That must have been scary." She said as she started to wrap it in sterile cotton bandages. "Your brother almost dove in the river to get you after you fell."

Sam looked up in surprise, "Do you want to show him that you're okay now?" She asked. Sam nodded as he was guided toward the other SUV. He saw his dad and Dean sitting in the back seat and immediately got in beside them and cried into Dean's shirt. He didn't even notice the rescue workers handing his dad a blanket or the door closing before they drove toward the shelter.

Dean took the blanket from his dad and wrapped it around his kid. "You're okay now Sammy. Everything's okay" Dean repeated as his brother hiccuped and coughed into his shirt. "Just rest for a bit. You're still in shock."

 _So this is no longer looking like a 2 part story to me, I think it needs 1 or 2 more chapters. Leave feedback, tell me what you think, I'd really appreciate hearing your thoughts._


	3. Waiting for the Other Show to Drop

**Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or whatever**

 **Author's Note: Thanks so much for all the follows and favorites, I'm glad that you all thought this on-a-whim story was worth coming back to. That being said, I'm predicting about 2 more chapters just because of the dose of drama I added in this chapter.**

Chapter 3: Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop 

Cafetorium is a stupid word Dean though as he sat next to the cot on which his brother slept. "It should be a cafeteria or an auditorium. Cafetorium just sounds dumb." Dean said aloud to fill the silence in their little area.

They'd been at the shelter long enough for Sam to get 5 stitches across his palm from an attractive blonde and for his father to register them all, so that they could be given towels, blankets, and food.

"Dad, what are we going to do about the impala? She's our home." Dean asked.

John kept his eyes on Sam. He was carding his fingers through the now dry hair, but he answered, "We'll worry about it later. Nothing we can do until after the storm passes."

Dean sighed and took a long breath, turning his attention to one of the TVs on the wall. The school still had power and they were told the generators were backup, should they need them.

 _"Now over to our local meteorologist Skip Waters as we get more updates on the category 4 hurricane that is predicted to make landfall tonight." The news anchor reported as a red and blue cyclone zoomed onto the screen followed by bold font reading STORM WATCH._

Dean watched and listened as the meteorologist gave time stamps and location predictions for the coming storm. Apparently the eye of the storm would be heading straight for this area.

"Guess the beach is not happening after the storm either." He mumbled as they showed pictures from the islands the storm passed through in the Atlantic. "Well Shit, we know how to pick a vacation." He hissed sarcastically.

John walked up to Dean and clapped his hand on his son's back. "Sure do" he responded, "Why don't you rest with Sam. Seems like the storm might keep us up tonight." Dean obeyed and headed to his cot, which lay next to Sam and pulled his blanket tightly over his head. Although he wasn't tired he found himself drifting off into a light sleep.

The crash of thunder and the illuminating streak of powerful lighting ripped the Winchesters from their rest. But the reassuring hand of his father held onto their shoulders. "Didn't take you as one to be afraid of a little thunder Dean." Joked John as Dean sat up.

"Am not, but I think I found a new alarm clock sound for us, right Sammy?" Dean looked at him brother. Sam was softly smiling, "Do you mean the thunder or your girly scream?" Sam joked

John let out a hearty laugh, at Dean's expense, as he laid a hand of approval on Sam's back. In hindsight maybe he hit Sam's back too heavily or too hard, because the boy doubled over into a coughing fit.

"Dean, go get him some water, something probably went down the wrong pipe." John instructed as he picked Sam up and sat him back on the cot. The boy was coughing and gasping like there wasn't any air left in the room, but Dean ran to the fountain, ignoring the pull in his soul to just hug his brother.

When Dean returned with the water though he knew it was more than a little spit _down the wrong pipe._ Sam was becoming violently ill on the linoleum floor of the cafetorium and the blond nurse from earlier, Charity, was sitting next to Sam and John with a stethoscope on Sam's chest.

"Do you know if he took any water in before being rescued from the river?" She asked as Sam to dry heave and shake. John shook his head, he didn't know.

"He slipped and fell into the water, but I don't know. He was fine after coming out of the water aside from he cut and being shaken up." John reported.

"Sam, sweetheart, did any of the river water go into your mouth or did you swallow the water earlier?" She gently asked Sam as she rubbed circles on his back.

Everyone's attention was on Sam, but Sam's attention was fleeting. John looked down at the hand he was squeezing, "Shit! His nailbed is blue! What's happening to him?" John asked as thunder made the building shudder again.

"Carry him the med station." She demanded as she motioned for them to follow.

They ran across the cafetorium as the boy in John's arms continued to weakly gasp and cough. His eyelids and lips were beginning to lose color and tinge blue.

Charity upon arriving at the med station pulled back the sheets on the gurney and pulled out an oxygen tank and mask from behind a curtain, "Lay him down and put this mask on his nose and mouth." John did as he was told and watched as Charity took out a portable pulse-oximeter and attached the watch-like device to Sam's finger and wrapped the cuff around his wrist.

"Let's wait a bit to see if his oxygen levels go up any. I'm going to go look for a doctor. They had to register upon entry in case of emergencies." She said as she dashed to the registration table.

John and Dean sat and watched over the youngest. "His color is getting a little better." Dean noted

John nodded as he rubbed calming circles in his son's palm with his thumb. "You feel better Sam?" he asked.

Sam nodded tiredly before closing his eyes.

Charity returned with an older man at her side. "John, Dean, this is Dr. O'Grady. He's a pediatrician at the local hospital. He'll talk a look at Sam and help us figure out what's wrong."

The man stepped over to the gurney and pulled Sam up gently before whispering some instructions to the boy. "You ready?" he asked as he placed his stethoscope over Sam's chest, "Breathe in and out"

He moved the stethoscope around Sam's body searching for an answer. First the center, then left lung, right lung, he put the stethoscope to his back. "Okay, Sam. I want to squeeze my hand one time for no and two times for yes. Do you understand?"

Sam squeezed two times. "Good," O'grady said

"Sam when you fell in the river, Did you swallow the water? Or did it go down the wrong pipe.?" Everyone waited on bated breath as Sam tried to recall. He squeeze the hand two times. _Yes!_

Dr. O'Grady continued to ask Sam questions for about 5 minutes before he allowed the boy to lay back on the gurney and rest.

"So doctor, what is the prognosis?" John asked, "Is my boy going to be okay?"

Doctor O'Grady motioned to the curtain, prompting them to exit so that Sam could rest. Once outside the curtain he began, "I believe Sam is suffered from what some call secondary drowning or dry drowning. It means when Sam fell some water entered his lungs. So it's like he is drowning or asphyxiating on the water. He basically suffering from a pulmonary edema. From what I can tell, without having a chest x-ray, it's in his right lung."

"So what needs to be done to fix this? That doesn't sound like it will fix itself" Dean asked nervously

"I understand your concern, but believe me catching it before it turned fatal Is more than half the battle." He supplied, "We have him on oxygen and we are monitoring his levels. That is what we can do now. However, the most dangerous part of this is the illnesses that can arise as a result. We need to monitor him for pneumonia or anything else that could come about. Plus there is the unknown factor, we don't know if there was any bacteria in the water that could compromise his lungs or even infect his hand. So it's imperative that as soon as we as able to, we get this kid in an ambulance to the hospital." O'Grady warned.

"So it's a waiting game" Dean sighed.

"I'm hear with my family, however, Sam will be my main concern. I'll check on him every hour," The Winchesters nodded, "Charity, I want you to start an IV."

The thunder crashed again, and the Winchester knew they were in for a long night. "I hope this storm ends soon" Dean wished as he and his father sat next to Sam in the small curtained off cubicle.

 **A/N: What do you think? Let me know. Am I reaching too far or nah? You guys know I love to hurt Sam for no reason right?**


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